Mechanism for operating railway-signals.



1.; w'. COFFMAN.- MECHANISM FOR'UPERATING RAILWAY SIGNALS. APPLICATION FILED MAY3,1915.

1,248,457. Patented Dec. 4, 1917.

T' W F1131.

6. b4 JAMESWEBFFMAM wa 22 M 1 JAMES WQGOFFMA N, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

MECHANISM FOR OPERATING RAILWAY-SIGNALS.

Specification of Letters Patent. PatentedDec 4. 1917,

Application filed May 3, 1915. Serial No. 25,480.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES W. CorrMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Sa'ngamon and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Mechanism for Operating Railway- Signals, of which the following is a specification.

The general purpose of the invention is to provide signal-operating mechanism operative by acar or locomotive running forward in either direction, or backing in either direction on the railroad track.

More specific purposes of the invention are to providedepressors of improved construction; an electric switch adapted to be closed by the depressors acting in unison; and an electrically operative latch adapted to control the operation of said switch. \Vith these purposes in view my invention consists in the new and useful features of construction and combinations of mechanisms shown in the annexed drawings and hereinafter described and finally recited in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a diagram of a signal system and illustrates the electrical connections and thexmode of using of my invention, Fig. 2 is a top plan of mechanism embodying my invention.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line X X of Fig. 2, and Fig. lis a vertical transverse section on the line Y. Y. of Fig. 2. Similar reference characters designate like parts in the dilferent'views.

The mechanism will be located parallel to the track rails and in such relation thereto that a suitably placed actuator of any approved construction, connected with a vehicle running on the track, will run on and serve to actuatethe depressors; the actuator and the depressors being in such relation to each other that an actuator on a vehicle moving either forwardly or rearwardly on the track will be effective'to operate the depressors.

The letters A, B, G, D and B respectively designate the main depressor mechanism as a whole; the switch of the main depressor mechanism; the latch of the main depressor mechanism; a secondary depressor mechanism; and a switch adapted to lee-operated by the secondary depressor mechanism to cause the latch to releasethe main depressor mechanism.

Theletters G, H and J, designate an electric generator, an electric signal lamp and an electric signal gong, respectively, in electrical connection with the mechanism controlling the operation of the signal lamp and the signal gong. l have indicated and prefer to use a storage battery as a genera-- tor, but any other suitable generator may be used. The lamp H; and the gong J may be of any approved type.

The outgoing line wire 45 is connected with one pole of the generator and the return wire 46 is connected with the other pole of the generator.

Abox 1 preferably of cast iron, supports and incloses the operating mechanism.

The arched depressor plates 2 are parallel to each other and together occupy practically the entire length and entire width of the inside of theupper part of the box, so as to prevent dirt and snow from enter ing the box.

. Each plate 2 has a hub 3. Bolts i extend through the sides of the box and through the hubs 3 and pivotally connect the plates respectively with the box.

At the free end of each plate 2 is a downwardly inclined finger 5 adapted to engage on the under side of the hub 3 of the complemental plate to prevent upward displacement of the free end of the plate.

1 One depressor plate 2 has its pivotal connection adjacent to one end of the box 1 and the complemental depressor plate in the same box has its pivotal connection adjacent to the other end of the box, so that the actuator moving in either direction may cause simultaneous depressing of the central parts of both depressors to produce vertical movement of the bar 6 and connected parts and so that the upwardly moving wheel 8 may simultaneously push both bars upward. A transverse bar 6 of insulating material is adapted to slide between vertical guides 7 on the inside walls of the box 1. A yoke 9 supported onthe bar 6 supports a rotative wheel. 8 in contact with the under sides. of the plates 2. A downwardly extending blade 1.0 is stationary on the under side of the bar 6, and hasan inclined or curved terminal part 12 adapted to engage with and move a slidable latch 21, and a notch 13 adapted 'toreccive the end of the latch to keep the blade in its depressed position.

Arched springs 14 contact with the under side of the bar 6 and normally support the bar in its raised position. The curved terminals 1 1 of the springs are supported and adapted to slide on insulating plates 15 on the bottom of the box 1.

The springs 1 1 are strong enough to raise the bar 6 and connected parts and the plates 2 after they have been depressed.

An insulating block 16 is stationary on the bottom of the box 1. Curved springy contact plates 17 are supported on the block 16.

A wire 18 connects one spring 17 with the outgoing wire 15 from the generator, and another wire 19 connects the other spring with the return wire 16 to the generator, so that when the blade 10 is depressed and in contact with the plates 17 the switch will be closed and current from the generator will flow through the switch, through the lamp and through the bell back to the generator.

. The switch controlling device comprises a stationary latch-support 20, a latch 21 having a stem 22 adapted to slide in the latch support; a spring 23 surrounding the latch stem and adapted to be compressed by inward movement of the latch, and acting to slide the latch outwardly; a plunger 24 con nected with the latch stem and a solenoid 25 effective to retract the latch 21. A wire 43 connects the secondary switch B with the wire 45, which is connected with one pole of the generator G; a wire 4.4 connects the switch B with one terminal of the solenoid C; and a wire 51 connects the other terminal of the solenoid with the return wire 46, so that the secondary depressor D will be effective to cause the energizing of the solenoid to effect retraction of the latch 21. Immediately upon the retracting of the latch 21 the springs 141 will act to raise the blade 10 and break the electric circuit through the switch B.

An actuator of approved construction comprises a vertical beam 30 adapted to be rigidly connected with a vehicle and having at its lower end a fork 81 adapted to accommodate a rotative wheel 32. The beam 30 will travel in line with the depressor plates 2 in order that the wheel may run on and depress the plates as the vehicle or train moves along the track either forwardly or rearwardly.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows :It a vehicle or train with which the actuator is connected be moved forwardly or rearwardly on the railway track, the wheel 32 of the actuator will traverse and depress the depressor plates '2 and the depressing of the plates 2 will cause the blade 10 to move downward into contact with springs 17, thereby closing the electric circuit from the generator G through the wires 45 and 18 to the switch B and thence through the wires 19 and through the lamp H and gong J back to the generator. lVhen the blade 10 is depressed, the latch 21 will engage in the notch 13 to keep the blade in its depressed position until the actuator running on the depressor D will cause the switch B to close the circuit from G through 13, B, n, C, 51, 46, H and J, back to G, and thereby energize the solenoid 25 to cause retraction of the latch 21; and thereupon the springs '1-1- will act to raise the bar 6 and connected parts to disengage the blade 10 from the springs 17 and to lift the depressor plates to their original position.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a box adapted to house moving parts of the mechanism; two parallel depressor plates each having one end pivoted in the box, also having a lateral hub at the pivoted end of the plate and a finger at the free end of the plate; a keeper-device adapted to temporarily keep the plates in their depressed position; and a lifting-device adapted to raise the depressor plates to an extent limited by the engagement of the fingers of the respective depressor plates with the respective hubs of the depressor plates.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a box adapted to house moving parts of the mechanism; two co-acting depressor plates parallel throughout their length, each having one end pivoted in the box, also having a lateral hub at the pivoted end of the plate and a finger at the free end of the plate adapted to engage on the hub of the complemental plate; an electrically-controlled keeper-device adapted to temporarily keep the plates in their dcpressed position; and a lifting-device effective upon the release of the keeper-device to raise both depressor plates to an extent limited by the engagement of the fingers with the hubs of the de aressor plates.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name at Springfield, Illinois, this 26th day of June, 1914.

JAMES W. COFFMAN.

lVitnesses:

Roy G. TROXELL, S. ALLYNN TROXELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.? 

